The Beginning of a Promise
by Chrysana Beetrottle
Summary: Draco died without knowing what Harry felt about him. Now, Harry holds the only chance to be with the person that he loves.


**THE BEGINNING OF A PROMISE**

"Harry, what are you looking for? Why don't you want us to help you?" Hermione asked Harry as he tried to search for something in the Forbidden Forest.

"Just go, Hermione!" Harry shouted at her. It was already difficult looking for such a small object to have someone questioning him over and over about something that he have no intentions of telling someone about, not even his closest of friends. "I want to be alone!" A lot of anger was flowing through his veins at the moment. He never thought that he'd have to go through this kind of pain. Was this the payment he'd receive after defeating Voldemort?

He looked at right straight into Hermione's eyes, regretting every second wasted when he could be looking for the Resurrection Stone. "I want to be alone, please", he told her with the calmest tone that he could muster. "I'll see you and Ron later…or just soon."

"If this is about Draco – "

"Hermione!" He could not stand hearing the name. It was worse than being hit with a Cruciatus Curse. "Again, I beg you nicely to leave me alone."

"Okay, Harry. Ron and I will be in the castle. If you need anything, we'll be there."

Hermione started to walk towards the castle. It did not in the least make Harry feel any better. He was alone now. He was alone more than ever.

He turned back to the mess in front of him and he was losing hope by the second. _Damn that Summoning Charm_, he thought to himself. First, it was useless in finding Horcruxes. Now, the Stone.

After another two hours of searching, Harry felt something sharp and pick it up instantly. It was the Resurrection Stone. As he laid his eyes on it, he immediately started to well up in tears. "At last", he whispered to himself.

But, what he should do next, he had no idea. He was holding the only object that could revive the person that he loves. It was the only way for him to be happy. All this time, he tried to keep the truth away. When he was finally ready to face it, all opportunities disappeared. _No, not all_, he thought.

Harry pressed the Stone close to his heart. "Bring him back to me", he said quietly. "Please bring Draco back. I cannot face this world without him. Draco, I need you. Draco."

He kept his eyes closed for a minute or two, waiting for something to happen. There was none. He expected a cold wind, as cold as the feeling when Headless Nick floats past him. No sound disturbed the silence of the rustling leaves.

Tears started were flowing down his cheek. The invisibility cloak is real. The Elder Wand is real too. But why won't the Resurrection Stone work? His knees were tired after all the exhaustion brought by the Battle and all the deaths he had witnessed. In an instant, the strength of his knees failed him and he was on the ground as if pleading for his life.

His eyes opened as he felt cold fingers brush away the tears from his right cheek.

"The Boy Who Lived cries at my death", Draco told him.

Harry felt his heart skip a beat as he laid eyes on the person kneeling in front of him. Draco looked almost the same as always, only he looked paler. He had his hair neatly brushed and his clothes were clean. It was the Draco he'd usually pass by in the hallway at Hogwarts.

"Draco", was all that Harry could say at his surprise.

"You saved me. Thank you, Harry", said Draco with a smile on his face. "I hope you don't mind if I call you by your first name."

Harry shook his head. He was still speechless at the magic that was in front of him.

Draco held Harry's elbows and tried to push him up to stand. "You look shaken at the sight of me, Harry. You did call me, you know? I heard you saying my saying my name and I followed the sound. I felt loneliness, sadness and anger from your voice. Why did you call me, Harry?"

"I...I need…to tell you something", Harry said to Draco. He was hesitating. He now has the person he loves in front of him and he didn't have the strength to tell him the truth.

"Go on, Harry." Draco chuckled at his himself. "I'm sorry if I keep on saying your name. It amuses me having the chance to do so."

This was it, the moment that he was waiting for. In no way was it the right thing to do but it was the only thing that he wanted after he tried saving millions of people from the wrath of Voldemort.

"Draco, will you stay with me?"

A mixture of shock and happiness could be seen in Draco's face but it faded just as fast as it occurred. "Harry, I can't stay."

"But…but I love you, Draco. I've always had."

"Well, Harry, I love you too but – "

As soon as Harry heard Draco say he loves him back, he immediately pressed his lips against Draco's. The lips were as cold as the fingers that wiped Harry's tears earlier, if not colder. But that didn't matter, he was finally kissing Draco and everything made sense. He was supposed to be with Draco and nothing should get in the way of that, not even death. They lived in a magical world where judgments had no place. Everything was possible and beautiful!

Harry cupped Draco's cheeks with both his hands and kissed him deeply. Draco's response was so intense that made Harry's knees weak once again.

As their lips parted after a kiss that could've lasted hours for they had no care for anything else, Harry was once again in tears. Now, they were tears of pure joy.

"Let's go, Draco. You have to go to your mum. She will be delighted to see that you are back."

Harry was full of joy as he turned to direction towards Hogwarts and tugged the hands of his love but Draco did not move from his place.

"No, Harry. I'm not _back_. I'm just…here."

"I don't get it."

"If you were wise enough to know the purpose of that Stone", as Draco said this Harry was reminded of the Stone which was now missing from his hands. "You have probably already heard the story of the Deathly Hallows. Do you remember the story of the second brother?"

"Yes", said Harry.

"We will be just as miserable as them, Harry. I have to go back to where I belong", Draco lifted his hands and showed Harry the object on his palm, and it was the Resurrection Stone. "Promise me that you will never use this again. We'll be back together in our own time, Harry. For the meantime, we both have to wait."

This was the truth. Nothing will ever be able to bring someone back to his or her fullest form by using the Stone. Harry knew this before he decided to bring Draco and should have prepared himself.

"You don't have to wait for too long, Draco. I will be with you soon, maybe sooner than you expect."

Draco pulled Harry close to him and hugged him as tightly as he could. "Not too soon, Harry. There are people here who need you. When you get to the other side, we can have all the time that we want. We'll have an eternity together in the best place you can ever imagine." Draco gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek and slowly released him.

" Tell my parents that I am fine", Draco continued. "I am in a whole, new place where everything is peaceful and quieter. Will you do that for me, love?"

"I will."

"Thank you, Harry."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

After hearing these words, everything became a blur to Harry. The next moment, he was waking up in the hospital wing where Ron and Hermione have been watching over him. In his right hand was the Resurrection Stone and in his heart was the promise of an everlasting love.


End file.
